USPTO Patents Application 10088842

Amendments to the Claims

1 . (Currently amended) A tubular filter element obtained bv way of a
controlled galvanic electroforminq process, said filter element having a flexible
perforated laminar structure comprising a deposited metal, the laminar structure having
microholes extending between a first surface and a second surface thereof, each
microhole having a wall which meets the first surface with a rounded edge or tapered
configuration in such a manner that the first surface is substantially smooth.

2. (Currently amended) A filter element structur e according to Claim 1 ,
wherein the microholes have a diameter of less than 30 pm.

3. (Currently amended) A filter element structur e according to Claim 2 4,
wherein the microholes have a diameter of less than 3-4 pm.

4. (Currently amended) A filter element structure according to Claim 1 ,
wherein the microholes have a polygonal or rhomboid form.

5. (Currently amended) A medical device comprising, at least in part, the
laminar a structure of accord i ng to Claim 1 , the structure having microholes formed
therein which are at least sufficiently large to permit the passage of plasma^fof
e xamp l e, therethrough.

6. (Original) A medical device according to claim 5 in the form of a prosthetic
hip joint, the hip joint having a leg portion comprising a spike and peg and a hip portion
comprising a dish and a cap; wherein the spike and the cap comprise said laminar
structure.

7. (Original) A medical device according to claim 5, wherein the laminar
structure is formed as a cage, respective ends of the cage being securable either side
of a break in a bone or to individual bones to promote regeneration of bone structure
across said break or between said individual bones.

8. (Previously presented) A medical device according to Claim 5, wherein
the structure is of titanium.

9. (Currently amended) A heat sink comprising the laminar a structure of
accord i ng to Claim 1 , one end of said structure being capable of being affixed to a
surface from which heat is to be conducted.

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10. (Original) A heat sink according to claim 9, wherein the structure is of
nickel, silver, gold, brass or titanium.

1 1 . (Canceled) A filter element comprising a laminar structure according to
Claim 1 formed as a tube.

12. (Currently amended) A filter element according to claim 1 44, wherein the
laminar structure is of nickel.

1 3. (Currently amended) A filter element according to claim 1 44, wherein the
laminar structure is arranged to facilitate cleaning of the filter element.

14. (Currently amended) A method of forming the a laminar structure of
accord i ng claim 1 comprising selectively depositing in a galvanic electroforming process
a metal on a matrix arranged at the electroforming cathode to form said structure with a
smooth surface formed with microholes meeting the first surface with a rounded or
tapered configuration, the walls of said holes having rounded edges and diameters
which formed in dependence upon the length of time the structure is placed in a
galvanic bath used in said process and the desired thickness of the laminar structure.

15. (Original) A method according to claim 14, wherein the metal is nickel,
gold, silver, brass or titanium.

16. (New) A filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the
laminar structure is 80 microns to 500 microns.

1 7. (New) A filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the density of the
microholes is between 10 holes/mm and 2 holes/mm.

18. (New) A filtering device comprising a filter element according to claim 1 .

19. (New) A filter element according to claim 1 , wherein the microholes have a
diameter of less than 60 microns.

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